As we all know and somewhat dread, prom season is quickly approaching us. Whether we are in public school, home schooled, or in private school, we are all hoping to be able to participate in this yearly tradition. The only thing is you have a million questions running through your mind...”What dress should I get; long or short?” “How should I wear my hair; up or down?” “What shoes would look good; heels or flats?” “How can I look modest but still stylish?” Here are some tips to help answer some of your questions.
TIP #1: If you pick a dress that has lots of detail or patterning on it, normally an up-do will look best. With the hair off your shoulders you are able to let the dress do all the talking. You don’t won’t you hair to cover the pretty design that took you weeks to find!
TIP #2: Don’t be afraid to try a bold pattern this year. Bold is in. Have fun picking out a dress that matches your personality! Last year I was able to find a really fun patterned dress but still had the elegance I was looking for.
TIP #3: Wear comfortable shoes. For all those no heels policy girls, don’t feel like your obligated to wear heels. Buy a pair of cute jeweled sandals or flats or pair a cute shorter dress with a pair of converses. (Plus if your date is shorter than you and you have a long dress that covers the tops of your shoes no one will ever know you had to cheat to make your date appear taller :p)
TIP #4: For a real princess look, go pouffy! Every girl wants the ultimate Cinderella dress! What more a perfect opportunity to be a princess than on prom night!
I thought about calling this post “Conquering the Fear of Doing Your Own Eyebrow Job”, but thought it was a little oxymoron. The scariest thing about doing your eyebrows is knowing that once you remove the hairs, you can can’t put them back and might not see them again for over a month – if ever. Recently I removed one hair that I shouldn’t have and it left a gap in my eyebrow. It doesn’t help that mine are naturally sparse. A brown eyeliner crayon became my best friend for a while. I heard you can use mascara, but I haven’t quite figured that one out yet. I’m just glad mine grow back fast.
The easiest way to change your appearance is by shaping your eyebrows. It brings out the angles in your face and you’ll look cleaner and even a little more mature. If you decide not to get them done professionally at a salon and do them yourself for free (and you feel brave :)), here are some tips and things to think about so you don’t end up making a mistake like me.
1. Make sure you know how much pain you can handle. Tweezing can be very painful for some people. It helps if you hold a wet warm cloth to the area before you start, and if you need to take an ibuprofen tablet, do that as well. After you’re finished tweezing, you can apply lotion or aloe vera gel to prevent breakouts and redness.
2. Have a plan before you start. If you just pluck at random hairs, you’ll end up with those thin line eyebrows nobody wants. Go for the “arched” look the professionals use. Here are some pretty self-explanatory, good picture guidelines: (You can use the end of a brush or a pencil to make the lines, starting at your nose as a pivot point, and mark where to tweeze with eyeliner.)
3. Remove more hair from the bottom of the eyebrow than the top. Removing too many hairs from the top may ruin your natural arch. Shape from the bottom and just remove straggly hairs above your brow.
4. Remove them the way they grow. Grab the hair with your tweezers and pull the skin back tight as you pull away from the direction of your nose, or whichever way yours grow. Stretching your skin tight while doing this step will make it hurt a whole lot less.
5. Step back and look at what you’ve done so far. This is the mistake I made. I forgot to check if I needed that hair or if it was one that could go and just pulled it out. For this reason, remove one hair at a time, you don’t want to over-tweeze.
Here’s a great video if you need to see some basics of tweezing: (if you’re visual like me :))
Have really light eyebrows or have sparse brows like me? Watch this instructional on how to define your eyebrows:
Want long, dark lashes that look natural? Read on as I explain how to apply mascara quickly, easily, and properly. Many women apply mascara every day, but the problem is most of them don’t apply it correctly. Here are my step-by-step directions to beautiful, wide-open eyes.
Step 1: Apply mascara to the top of your upper lashes, starting at the base and finishing at the tips. This is the most common mistake I see girls making, especially if she has light lashes.
Step 2: Now apply to the underside of your upper lashes. Wiggle in a zig-zag pattern as you slowly twirl the wand up. This will separate each lash.
Step 3: Apply to the lower lashes, starting at the base and brushing down. Do only the top of the lower lashes. Applying to both sides is only for the upper lashes.
Step 4: Clean up the mess! If you got mascara on your skin, wait until it dries, then remove with a tissue. The mascara should have hardened and will just flake off.
Tips!
• Clumps in your eyelashes? Take a disposable mascara wand and go though the underside of your upper lashes and the top of your bottom lashes. You can buy these at any store that carries specialty beauty products. This will remove clumps and ultimately separate and define each lash.
• Confused by mascara colors? Feel free to experiment, but here’s the simple decision tip: ladies with light colored hair and skin should use brown, and ladies with dark colored hair should use black. You can use these guidelines in experimenting with colored mascara too. If you’re fair-skinned, opt for a lighter color, and if you’re dark-haired, go for a darker color. Clear is a good choice for anyone, especially if you don't want to worry about smearing or running, or just want to go for a look of natural beauty.
• Wand pumping? Do NOT do this! Pumping the wand into the container will only create air bubbles and dry out your mascara sooner, causing a lot of those not-so-glamorous clumps.
• Lash curler? This can make your eyes look more open and your lashes look longer. If you decide to use one, curl before you apply mascara, not after. You’ll get a line in your eyelashes that obviously does not look natural.
• In a hurry? Brush foundation over your face and also on your eyelids and underneath your eyes. If you have dark circles under your eyes, apply concealer before the foundation. Now put on mascara as explained above and you’re ready to go! If you have more time, use Kaley’s Quick & Easy Eye Makeup Tips!
(You can use the end of a brush or a pencil to make the lines, starting at your nose as a pivot point, and mark where to tweeze with eyeliner.)
